February 15, 2017 — Nowhere is this more evident than with the spread of lionfish, an invasive, non-native species that is threatening the marine ecosystems across the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean. And one researcher at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) continues working to learn as much about lionfish as he can.
“I’ve been studying this specific invasive species for many years and it’s clear the threat it poses to our reefs and marine environment is real,” said Matthew Johnston, Ph.D., a research scientist at NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography. “As with all invasives, without any natural predators to keep things in balance, the one species can come to dominate the others.”
Johnston is also a member of the NSU Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) research team. His latest research paper, published by the journal Coral Reefs.